Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (Epub)

Description

“America’s funniest science writer” (Washington Post) explores the irresistibly strange universe of life without gravity in this New York Times bestseller.The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “[Roach’s] style is at its most substantial―and most hilarious―in the zero-gravity realm that Packing for Mars explores.” ― Janet Maslin, New York Times”The book is an often hilarious, sometimes queasy-making catalog of the strange stuff devised to permit people to survive in an environment for which their bodies are stupendously unsuited. With an unflinching eye, [Roach] launches readers into the thick of spaceflight’s grossest engineering challenges.” ― M. G. Lord, New York Times Book Review”Truly funny…Roach’s writing is supremely accessible, but there’s never a moment when you aren’t aware of how much research she’s done into unexplored reaches of space travel.” ― Entertainment Weekly”This is the kind of smart, smirky stuff that Roach does so well.” ― Geoff Nicholson, San Francisco Chronicle”Roach deftly guides her readers…They never completely lose sight of the accomplishments of space travel, even as they take delight in the absurdities that, in the end, make those successes all the more sublime.” ― Dallas Morning News”[Roach] has once again discovered a winner of a subject…Roach’s strange enthusiasm for all things oddball…makes Mars a more than worthy destination.” ― Time”An utterly fascinating account, made all the more entertaining by the author’s ever-amused tone.” ― BookPage”Roach provides a highly readable, often hilarious, guide.” ― Christian Science Monitor”Cool answers to questions about the void you didn’t even know you had.” ― People”A more realistic view of life in space than we have ever gotten from a NASA broadcast.” ― The Daily Beast”It’s all about those things NASA doesn’t delve into at press conferences.” ― BoingBoing”Over the course of several frank chapters, Roach explores the nitty-gritty details of life in space that filmmakers and historians tend to gloss over…Roach’s wide-eyed wonder…sets Packing for Mars apart from the galaxy of space travel histories” ― Boston Globe About the Author Mary Roach is the author of seven best-selling works of nonfiction, including Stiff, Bonk, and Gulp. Her writing has appeared in Outside, National Geographic, and the New York Times Magazine, among other publications.

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐This book takes a light-hearted look at the science of humans in space. Chapter by chapter, it discusses such topics as astronaut hygiene and motion sickness. I found the individual chapters diverting and informative enough, but I wanted them to sum to something more. Beyond the theme of human space travel, there’s no clear structure to the book. Indeed, I think the chapters could be rearranged in pretty much any order without serious disruption. In addition, I strongly missed a chapter on the nitty-gritty of performing science in space. Astronauts have carried out numerous experiments, but the book has little to say about this. Lest this seem overly negative, I did enjoy reading this. It’s just that the subject matter is of great interest to me, so I had hoped for something more incisive. Mildly recommended, though I note that many readers have loved this to pieces.About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don’t end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn’t like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I’ve loved).

⭐Roach strips away the glamor and heroics to offer us a look at the grittier, and messier, aspects of space travel as it relates to the human body. It’s all here: food, sex, personal hygiene, motion sickness, claustrophobia, physiological changes, defecation. While we may snicker at some, these are aspects of the human condition which are glossed over as we defiantly insist that we will conquer other worlds. Fortunately, scientists the world over are not ignoring these aspects. It’s just that they don’t make for good PR. Roach presents them here.But the best part is Roach herself. Her wit and unabashed curiosity are in plain sight, boldly going where decorum and press releases dare not go. There’s just enough science here to give the layman an idea of what’s going on–and presenting it in clear terms–without overwhelming him with forensic detail. She interviews astronauts and scientists, historians and charlatans, and when research isn’t enough, she bravely participates in experiments (flying aboard a C-9, drinking recycled urine). Despite being confronted with the unpleasant facts of space travel, Roach doesn’t flinch. She satisfies our curiosity while satisfying her own.

⭐‘Packing for Mars’ is what you read if you want an entertaining informative dive into the challenging world of science and engineering for space travel. Ms. Roach, once again, has produced a thoroughly engrossing funny nonfiction work. After reading her books ‘Stiff’ and ‘Spook,’ I came to expect topnotch material that was written for the everyday Joe or Josephine.Some of her investigation involves Ms. Roach being on site or actually experiencing the simulations. The author interviews astronauts, cosmonauts, and volunteers about their experiences in simulations or actual space missions. She takes part in such things as experiencing zero-gravity on parabolic flights and a moon expedition simulation taking place in Canada’s High Arctic. Ms. Roach also explains the history and challenges of space adventures such as isolation-chamber experiments in cross-cultural conditions; living on space stations; the various psychological hardships; height vertigo while spacewalking; the challenges of gravity; crash simulations; enduring G-forces; astrochimps; the demands of personal hygiene, coping with body odor, and bone density depletion during long missions; the cultural mindset of space agencies; sex in space; trying to survive a falling spacecraft; space cuisine; and the issues around pooping in zero-gravity. I found reading the poop chapter was an excellent appetite suppressant. Heck, it even topped her icky chapter on vomit. The book was published in 2010.After reading ‘Packing for Mars’ I can understand why it’s so expensive to launch missions. Once again, the author has produced a wonderful work. It’s a real treat. I came away from Ms. Roach’s book with an even deeper appreciation of the profession and a bedrock conviction that I’d rather be clubbed to death by a platoon of irate astrochimps than attempt space flight. I’m enthusiastically the wrong stuff.

⭐I read this book after reading “The Martin”, now a blockbuster movie, and am glad I read the Science behind the Fiction other authors use to make Mars sound awesome and dangerous. This author has a practical, tongue-in-cheek but factual and very funny style of writing that I really enjoyed. She did a lot of painstaking research for her book, extensive travel, and probably had to listen to thousands of hours of NASA transcripts and interview notes to get a few gut-bustingly funny precious gems. Totally worth it. I recommend this book to all my science-geek, and non-science friends who are interested in what it really might be like to get to Mars alive. Is being an astronaut really work all the trouble? Either way, a very funny and interesting read.

⭐Was hoping for an interesting read about difficulties in manned missions to Mars. Instead a tedious book that had more to do with bodily functions than the actual physical and psychological issues faced by future astronauts. Childish probably best sums up this book. For anyone interested in space, NASA, Apollo missions or the planets and potential human travels across our solar system avoid this drivel.

⭐A good read, but I fear that Mary Roach is turning the handle a bit here and repeating styles she has ploughed well before. Personally I like her writing style and witticisms but there is a certain deja-vu with the style.

⭐This book focuses on the human perspective of being in space, with all the gory details which NASA and Co very much prefer not to talk about. Therefore, except for the details on the space-toilet, this book is very light on the technical details of space travel and focuses on the psychological and medical aspects of being an astronaut.Mary Roach has a great lighthearted writing style which is full of irony, and this book has loads of laugh-out-loud sections in it. But yet she still manages to present everyone and everything in a respectful manner.

⭐Packed full of space facts and humor! A must for all SciFi geeks!

⭐Mostly uninteresting, scientifically speaking. Focuses more on excrement floating around in space stations than the actual science behind space living.

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